Bottle carrier



Dec. 13, 1949 E. ARNESON BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Aug. 14, 1946 L/uuL mag IN V EN TOR.

memes Dec. 13, 949" BOTTLE CARRIER Edwin L. Arneson, Morris, Ill., assignor to Morris Paper Mills, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Applicationlugust 14, 1940, Serial No. 690,513

This invention relates to an improved bottle carrier having novel provisions adapting the same to be vertically stacked for display or storage purposes. I It is an object of the invention to provide a bottle carrier of compact, generally triangular outline having a central, vertically extending .suspending handle projecting along the apex thereof, along with'provisions for deflecting and,

releasably locking said handle in a lowered, horizontal position permitting vertically aligned stacking of a plurality of filled carriers.

Another object is to provide a very simple and inexpensive glued bottle carrier construction characterized by a laterally flexible, normally upstanding handle portion, said portion being bendably retractable to a position at or beneath the top of the carrier and bottles therein, enabling the stable stacking of a plurality of filled carriersin vertically aligned rows.

A still further object is to provde a bottle carrier having a laterally and horizontally retractable handle portion or panel of the type described, along with novel provisions for engaging said portion or panel with a bottle to hold the same in said retracted position.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention, but other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the device.

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for purpose of exemplification, but it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of incorporation in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Pig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a bottle carrier according to my invention with-a suspending h'andle'portion thereof bendably withdrawn to' and restrained in a retracted position enabling vertically aligned stacking of a plurality of filled carriers, the outlines of bottles in the carrier being indicated in dotted line in this as well as in the two other views;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of two filled and stacked carriers in the condition shown in Fig. 1, the position of the handle of one thereof in its operative, unstacked and upstanding position for transporting the carrierbeing indicated in dotted lines: and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line 3 -3,, of-F g. 1; further 4 Claims. (Cl. 224-45) -parts carrying position of the handle portion. I

The present invention relates to improvements 1 in bottle carriers of the type exemplified by the patents to Crane No. 2,302,676, of November 24, 1942, Arneson No. 2,345,565, of April 4, 1944, and

Gilbert No. 2,362,995, of November 21, 1944; although it will be'apparent from the followin description that the provisions of the invention are also. generally applicable. to bottle carriers of the general type characterized by an upstanding central suspending handle or panel, wherein the tops of the bottles are exposed in posed in the filled carrier.

the carrier. The invention affords an improved method for the retraction of such a handle to a position at or below the level of the tops of bottles positioned inthe carrier, thereby enabling a plurality of filled carriers to be stacked in neat, vertically aligned side-'by-side relationship. Heretofore the presence of the upstanding handle portion'has made it necessary to stack the carriers in a laterally staggered relation if, indeed, it was possible to stack the same at all. At the same time, my invention enables the handle to be retained in a retracted position compacting the carrier for storage in low shelf space even when not stacked, against the inherent resilience of the material thereof.

Referring to ,the drawings, the reference numeral Ill generally designates a bottle carrier of the type similar to the carrier of the above patents, in which the tops of bottles are fully ex- This carrier is fabricated of a suitable grade of paper board or cardboard in an all glued construction, comprising a bottom II, the upwardly inclined, convergent side walls I! which are bendably connected at their lower margins to the bottom and the infolded end panels I! which are bendably connected to lateral marginsof the side walls I2 to define end walls for the, carrier.

Panels II are offset inwardly of and normal to the'periphery of the carrier at their adjacent edges and adhesively secured together, thereby defining internal vertical partitions medially of the carrier. The side walls I! converge upwardly to ,a meeting point adjacent and preferably somewhat below the level of the tops of the caps ii on bottles I!) disposed in apertures I6 provided in the side walls of the carrier. From this Juneturelin'e the walls continue upwardly vertically in parallel "side-by-side and adhesively secur-d engagement to constitute a double-py upstandw' e. t msitiqn'andre a ib p or the inghandle portion or panel I! medially of a row oibottles II on either side thereof. Apertures It in side walls I! are adapted to receive the side and end walls and bottom of the described.

carrier and it should be understood that numerous modifications of these parts may be made without departing from the principle of the invention. As to the handle portion ii, the specific construction thereof is likewise not absolutely critical in the invention other than the fact that it extends from a point adjacent or immediately below the level of bottle caps it, at which it merges with the body of the carrier, to a position substantially above said tops. It is also desirable that the material of the handle portion ll be creased or scored at this point for lateral bending along a line ll paralleling the top and bottom of the carrier and extending across width of the handle portion.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. the handle portion or panel II is provided with a plurality of spaced holes II, 2. and Ii for access of the user's fingers in transporting the carrier. The apertures designated II and Il may be of any size appropriate to afiord convenient entry of the user's fingers and a comfortable grip. However, the central hole is must be made sumcienfly large'to enable it to be snapped over the crimped skirt 2! of the cap it on one of the center bottles II when bent on line It into the position of the handle portion I'I illustrated in solid line in Fig.

2. Needless to say, the hole It must also be laterally aligned with the centermost bottle for this purpose and should not be so excessively large in diameter as to swing freely in either direction over the cap it. Its vertical spacing in panel I1 is approximately equal to the lateral spacing of the engaged bottle top. both relative to bend line it. p

A spring snapping engagement with the cap skirt is contemplated once the handle panel I! is depressed to horizontal position, which releasably locks the handle in position enabling stacking of the carriers. When it is desired to transport the carrier, a slight lateral pressure on the engaged bottle or handle releases the above described latching action, whereupon panel il springs upwardly to the dotted line carrying position of Fig. 2.

A plurality of filled cartons may be stacked, as illustrated in Fig. 2, in a perfectly stable condition, with the bottom of one resting on the bottles said tops, said handle having an opening the axis of which is spaced from said fold line a distance approximating the lateral spacing of ,the axis of a bottle therefrom,,the opening being shaped so that its outer margin, in said retracted position of the handle, has frictional, snap engagement with the margin ,of said bottle ,top to-hold the handle in said retracted position. 2. A one-piece, flexible paperboard bottle carrier of the type described, comprising integrally connected side walls and a bottom, and a suspending handle integral with the walls disposed medially thereof and extending substantially thereabove, said walls terminating not higher than the tops of bottles disposed in the carrier and being bendably connected to the handle by a creased fold line adjacent the top thereof along which the handle is bendable into a retracted. substantially horizontal position approximately at the level of said tops, said handle having an opening the axis of which is spaced from said fold line a distance approximating th lateral spacing of the axis of a bottle therefrom, the opening being shaped so that its outer margin, in said retracted position of the handle, has frictional, snap engagement with the margin of said bottle top to hold the handle in said retracted position.

3. A paperboard bottle carrier of the type described, comprising a body portion adapted to receive bottles and a suspending member bendably connected to the top of said body portion to one side of certain of the bottles along a creased fold line located approximately at the elevation of the tops of said bottles, said handle member being laterally bendable about said fold line toward retracted position over the tops of said bottles and having an opening aligned with and telescopingly receiving a bottle top in said rcin the next lower, and may be removed for handling or transfer with or without release of the depressed handles. This permits placing of the filled carriers in a low shelf space wherein the upright handles would require excessive space. The double ply, glued construction of the handle panel i1 insures against weakening thereof as a consequence of the lateral bending which accompanies the above use of the carrier, without necessitating fabrication of the carrier itself from an excessively heavy grade of stock.

What I claim is:

1. A paperboard bottle carrier of the type described, comprising side walls and a bottom, and a suspending handle disposed medially of and extending substantially above the walls, said walls terminating in the immediate region of the tops of bottles disposed in the carrier and being bendably connected to the handle by a creased fold line adjacent the top thereof along which the handle is bendable into a retracted, substantially horizontal position approximately at the level of 75 2,375,467

tracted position a portion of said handle member which laterally adjoins said opening presenting a surface adapted to rest on the top of a bottle at one side of the'telescoped bottle.

4. A paperboard bottle carrier comprising integrally connected side walls, a bottom and a suspending handle integral with said walls, said handle being disposed medially of and extending substantially above said walls, and being provided with a longitudinally extending, creased fold line located, with respect to the vertical dimension of said carrier, in the immediate region of the tops of bottles disposed in the carrier on one side of said handle, along which fold line the handle is bendable into a retracted, substantially horizontal position approximately at the level of said bottle tops, said handle having an opening therein spaced from said fold line a distance approximating the lateral spacing of said bottle tops from said handle, said opening being shaped and disposed so that its margin, in said retracted position, has frictional snap engagement with the margin of said bottle top to hold the handle in said retracted position.

EDWIN L. ARNESON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,965,886 Everhart July 10, 1934 2,225,822 Crook Dec. 24, 1940 2,302,876 Crane Nov. 24, 1942 Chapman May 8, 1M5 

